A pair of barn owls, female left, male on right, are seen on Pete DeSimone's owl cam at the Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Bell Canyon. The leg band identifies the male as having been born on the ranch. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary manager Pete DeSimone uses binoculars to check out his cameras in a barn owl nest in a cavity 40 feet up a eucalyptus tree in Bell Canyon. The tree towers over 100 feet. A new pair of owls has recently taken up residence. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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From his basement workshop at the Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Bell Canyon ranch manager Pete DeSimone has created a live owl cam internet system and an international audience following the birds. He said, "I've got 500 pairs of eyes out there seeing what goes on. We're learning a lot. Some are watching in other time zones while we're sleeping." The stream is at: http://www.starrranch.org/blog/barn-owl. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary manager Pete DeSimone points out the differences between the female barn owl at left and male at right as see on the owl cam he streams on the internet. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Two webcams and an infrared light stream live images of barn owls in a nest 40 feet up a eucalyptus tree At Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Bell Canyon. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary manager Pete DeSimone describes the shape of the cavity in which barn owls nest in the tree at left. Their life is documented on a live streaming owl cam. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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From his basement workshop at the Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary in Bell Canyon ranch manager Pete DeSimone has created a live owl cam internet system and an international audience following the birds. He said, "I've got 500 pairs of eyes out there seeing what goes on. We're learning a lot. Some are watching in other time zones while we're sleeping." The stream is at: http://www.starrranch.org/blog/barn-owl. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary manager Pete DeSimone watches a barn owl nest in a cavity 40 feet up a eucalyptus tree in Bell Canyon. His owl cam has created a loyal internet following. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary manager Pete DeSimone uses binoculars to check out his cameras in a barn owl nest in a cavity 40 feet up a eucalyptus tree in Bell Canyon. The tree towers over 100 feet. A new pair of owls has recently taken up residence. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Audubon Starr Ranch Sanctuary manager Pete DeSimone points out on his live owl cam feed the leg band of a barn owl which identifies it as having been born on the ranch. JEBB HARRIS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

BELL CANYON – A new pair of barn owls – a husband and a misses - are drawing thousands of eyes back to the world-famous owl cam at Starr Ranch, the Audubon Society's 4,000-acre nature preserve.

Ten days ago, bloggers lit up the Starr Ranch web site after a group of viewers caught sight of a tawny, spotted female barn owl going in and out of a cavity recessed inside a 50-foot-high eucalyptus tree at the sanctuary.

The owl's real-time movements are captured on the so-called 'owl cam', two small cameras mounted inside the cavity. For four years now, the public has had access to see what the camera sees 24/7.

The importance of the owl cam is twofold: It allows the public to see nature play out its course in a way not normally seen by humans and it also provides Ranch scientists with an insight into the raptors' behaviors.

In one scene, the camera caught view of how owl pairings come to be. The camera showed two owls perched on limbs attempting to get the female owl's attention. Two days later, one of the two owls had been given access to the cavity. He had a silver band around his leg inscribed with the number 174. That meant he was banded as a chick on Starr Ranch April 17, 2011 when he was about four weeks old, said Pete DeSimone, ranch manager.

DeSimone set up the owl cam as a way for owl aficionados and nature lovers to learn about nature and wildlife up close and personal. Since then he's been under pressure by the public to maintain the camera's operation 24-7.The owl cam also introduces mainstream viewers to take an interest in nature. From the beginning of the egg watch (when the eggs are laid) to the hatching, feeding and fledging of the chicks, viewers got a glimpse into the world of owls.

But the owl cam has also drawn its share of controversy. Two years ago when one owl chick struggled to survive, owl cam viewers called on DeSimone to intervene. Some said nature should take its course. Others shouted in all caps for DeSimone to save the chick. DeSimone chose to let nature take its course.

In a separate instance, when five chicks were left fatherless, DeSimone helped the female by making prey drops (bringing food such as rats to the nest) at night to help supplement her hunting. The owl cam viewers rejoiced. The five chicks fledged, were banded by DeSimone and began hunting on their own. In early May the cavity was left empty.

Despite the popularity of the cam, the number of viewers decreased once the cavity was empty and there were no owls to watch. But a core group of viewers — more than a dozen scattered throughout the nation, in Europe and Asia — began reporting the appearance of the new female owl in late summer.

DeSimone, busy with other research and obligations on the ranch, relies on loyal viewers who have dubbed the eucalyptus cavity "The Ritz" to glean information. The two owls leave to hunt at night around 7 p.m. and appear again around 6 a.m. During the day, they mostly rest and preen each other. Next, viewers are hopeful to watch the mating ritual which will lead to the egg watch. Then the cycle continues again.

DeSimone, 58, has been watching wildlife and raptors for more than 30 years. With a wildlife management degree from the University of Maine, DeSimone volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary in Connecticut in the late 1970s. He spent hours devoted to studying hawks and their nests, climbing 30- to 40-foot-high trees, building platforms and sitting for hours taking notes and recording sounds.

He's been at Starr Ranch 27 years, but didn't combine his fascination with wildlife and his technical expertise until 2008 when he climbed the eucalyptus tree and set up the owl cam.

"The coolest thing is that it has turned into a wonderful education opportunity," DeSimone said. "They're understanding nature and through the ability to watch and record others can get to know about a wild situation. With the audio, they hear the screeching, the bill snap and the cries from the chicks during the prey drops. This is as good as it gets. They are watching the evolution of a pair of wild birds getting together. Without these wonderful people doing it, no one would know. I'm blown away by the amount of people who watch and care."

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